Improved washing-machine



of-"'Fig. l.

Vtion through the machine, taken at the point' STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,424, dated June 27, 1865.

' following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompa nying drawings, making a part ol' this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the. center of my improved washingmachine. Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing the plunger and its handle thrown forward or toward the wash-board. Fig. 3 is a top view Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse secindicated by red line y y, Fig. l.

f Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The `main object of my invention and improvement of washing-machines is to cause a flow of water toward the plunger during the act of forcing it up to its work, so that the water will beforcibly thrown upon and through the articles during the act of pressing them against the wash-board, as will be hereinafter described.

Another object of my invention is to provide for ltering or carrying oft' the solid particles of dirt from the water in the tub during the ow of water from one part of the tub to another part, so that the water will be kept comparatively clean for a considerable length of time, as will be hereinafter described.

Another object of my invention is to construct a Washing-machine witha chamber beneath the bed upon which the articles to be washed lie for the free passage of water from one part of the tub to another through the wash-board, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand myinvention, I will describe its construction and operation.

"The Wash-tub A is of a rectangular form, and ,may be made of any desired depth. lts provided with three legs, a, a and a', which latterv has a roller, azfapplied to it for facilitating the removal of the tub from one place to another. These three legs are fitted into dovetail grooves formed in the sides ofthe is desired to pack vthe machine for transportation. y

B represents a horizontal shelt' or false bottom, which is arranged beneath the wash-board C, near one end ot' the machine, and elevated above the bottom of the tub to forma chamber, D, beneath it. This chamber extends from a valve, b, which opens into it bach ot' the slats o of the Wash-board, so that-Water which is forced through the valve-opening must ,pass back and thence upward and through the spaces between the slats of the wash-board. The valve b extends across the tub, and is acted upon by a spring of any suitable description, which will keep the valve closed, as shown in Fig. 1, against an abutment e on the Abottom of the tub.

Beneath the chamber D is atrough, E, which extemlstransversely across the bottom cf the tub and communicates with said chamber through the inclined'perforations ff. `This trough forms asink for receiving the dirt which escapes from the water during the operation of washing, and at one end of it is a hole which is closed by a stopple, E.

The wash-board C consists of a number of upright slats, c, arranged at proper intervals apart, so as to' form narrow spaces between them for the free escape o f water from the chamber D, as indicated by the course .of the arrows in Fig. 2. of the slats c are suitably secured to transverse pieces, the upper one of which forms a cover back of the slats, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

G represents the plunger or fuller, which is composed of a number of narrow slats arranged in planes parallel to each other and` at right angles to the slats of the wash-board C. These horizontal slats are arranged with narrow spaces between them, and their ends are secured to the vertical side boards of a sliding carriage, H, which is supported and guided in its reciprocatin gmovements toward and from the washboard by the longitudinal bars g g.' The bot tom ot' this carriage His in a plane correspond ing to that of the top surface of the false bottom B, so that when this carriage,with its slatted plunger G, is moved toward thewash-board tub, and may be removed at pleasure when it' The upper and lower ends for that portion of the chamber D which is the carriage will pass freely over the board B, as shown in Fig. 2. Near the rear end ofthe .carriage H, and located beneath the same, is a valve, h, which swings forward as the carriage is moved backward, and which assumes the vertical position shown in Fig. 2 when the car riage is moved forward. Thisvalve h, when taken in connection with the valve b and the .chamber D, forms a kind of force-pump for A onlyopening from which is th'rough the valve b. Hence it will be seen that the water beneath y the carriage and said shelf will be forciblyV ejected through the wash-board C and through the articles which are between this board and the plunger. Thus during the operation of squeezing and poundingthe articles we have a stream of water rushing through them and carrying off the dirt. As the solid particles of ydirt will settle to the bottom of the tub, I have provided the troughv E for trapping thisdirt and purifying the water considerably. `This trap or trough E receives the dirt through the inclined holes f and allows the water to escape through the holesf/,as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

The plunger'G is ieciprocated by means of a vibrating lever, J, which is hinged at t' to the stationary piece A of the tub. This lever is connected to the carriage H of the plunger by means of two pivoted rods, K K. If desirable, a crank-shaft and connecting-rods may be used forgiving motion to the plungercarriage. The plunger, as well as the washboard, may be made in anysuitable manner, though I prefer to construct said parts substantially as described.

It will be seen from the above description of my washing-machine that the articles do notrest upon the bottom of the tub, but are supported upon a shelf, fromwhich the dirt is washed at every forward stroke of the plunger. I produce a rapid rotation 0f the water in the tub during the movements of the plunger and force the water through the articles under considerable pressure, which soonV deprives them of their dirt and obviates the necessity of subjecting them to much rough usage between hard substances.

My machine not only serves as a washer, but it also serves an excellent purpose as a rinser and for pressing the water out of the articles preparatory to hanging them up to dry.`

Having thus described my'invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy l. Forcingastrealn of water through or upon the articles to be washed,simultaneously with the operation of the plunger and in a contrary direction to the movement of the plunger, by means substantially as described.

2. The valves b t and chamber D, in combination with a perforated wash-board,`(l, and a plunger, G, substantially as described.'

3. The combination ot' a reciprocating plunger, G, a water-passage, D, and a perforated washbcard, C, substantially as described. JOSIAH F. MELGHER Witnesses:

JOHN M. STILWILL, JOHN W. EVANS. 

